Will's declaration of love for Tessa if Jem hadn't done it first
by Tara of Frell
Summary: What if Jem hadn't kissed Tessa that night after they brought Will home? What if he was still buying his time, and Will got there first? This takes place in Clockwork Prince, Chapter 20, the Bitter Root. It starts from Tessa's reaction to Will's declaration.


-There are some lines that are taken from multiple different Shadowhunters books including _City of Class_ , _Clockwork Prince_ , and _Lady Midnight_ , as well as original content. Keep in mind that this is the first fanfiction that I have ever written. I hope you like it. There will be more to come.-

"I dreamed what you dreamed, wanted what you wanted—and then I realized that truly I just wanted _you_. The girl behind the scrawled letters. I loved you from the moment I read them," Will said. "I love you still".

Tessa couldn't speak. She was filled with so much emotion that she couldn't get any words out, she could only stare at him. She felt an immediate urge to look away, as she always had, out of fear of him seeing her regard for him in her eyes. She was so used to forcing herself to not look at Will, everyday, that it was habit by now. She felt a sharp joy that now she could look at him however long she wanted to, when she wanted to, and she no longer had to hold back, no longer had to pretend to be indifferent to him out of fear of his indifference. Tessa remembered the first time she had ever seen him. She couldn't believe that anyone could be so beautiful. That was then. She soon learned Will's laugh that she would recognize anywhere, his love for the same books that she loved, his sense humor that even in her darkest hours could make her laugh, his loyalty, and his strength. Every day that she knew him, and the deeper and harder she fell in love with him, he seemed to get more beautiful to her. Now Tessa knew his heart, his inherit goodness, his selflessness. She now truly knew _Will_ , Will the boy that left his family, orphaned himself to keep them safe, who lived a life of solitude and loneness to protect others, who had to keep bad face and hating every minute of it for the protection of others. Now, he was free. Now, in this moment, he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It almost hurt to look at him. It was like staring at the sun.

"I have longed and dreamed and yearned for this moment for so long," Tessa said. "Is it truly not a dream? Do you truly mean it?"

The light of hope in Will's eyes grew bright after she spoke, like blue flames.

"I truly mean it. With my whole heart and soul, I love you."

They were both still for a moment and there was a silence that lasted only a moment, but it seemed to last for hours. Then Tessa ran at him, and he caught her, and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him as hard as she could on the mouth. Warmth tickled like electricity in her veins, her lips burned and tingled where they touched his, and the sensation spread from her lips to the bottom of her stomach, lingering. She had always loved his hair, and now that she could touch him freely she put her hands in his black waves, twirling the hair around her fingers. He kissed her back passionately, and she kept thinking to herself that it must be a dream, people didn't get what they wanted like this, these kinds of happy endings only happen in novels. He drew away from her, pulling back several inches, she was so close that she could see each individual eyelash, and she only wanted to be closer still.

"Tessa, I must ask. Does this mean that you love me too?"

Tessa was shocked. How could he not know, how could he not think—but it was true, she hadn't said that she loved him. She looked straight into his eyes, and took his face in her hands.

"I love you Will Herondale," she said. "I love you, and I will love you till the day I die, and if there is a life after that, I will love you then."

Will sucked in a breath. She leaned forward to kiss him, but he leaned away from her. She glared at him impatiently and he laughed, a joyous, beautiful laugh that was like music to her ears. "Then will you marry me?"

 _I am dreaming_ , Tessa thought, dazed. _Though if it is a dream let me never wake up_.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, I love you. Yes, I'll marry you."

The second the last word came out of her mouth he kissed her, and she thought, as she drowned in the sensation of his lips on hers, that in that moment it wasn't possible to be happier, it wasn't possible for it to ever be any better than this.


End file.
